Training apparatus

ABSTRACT

A training device for strengthening the back muscles provides a stepped berth for the trainee. Cables are coupled to weights and guided by first diverting rollers which are horizontally adjustable beneath the berth and second diverting rollers at the head end of the berth. Handles are provided at the free end of the cables. The trainee may pull the cables either from the first diverting rollers or from the second diverting rollers at increased tension.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a training device, especially forstrengthening the muscles of the back, with a stepboard-like recliningand sitting device and a weight-guiding tension device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Stepboards for strength training are familiar. As compared to thepreviously used horizontal layout boards, which resulted in greathyperlordosis when training with heavy loads or high numbers ofrepetitions in the power endurance range, this can be avoided with theuse of stepboards. Studies have shown that the stepboard is well suitedas a training device to strengthen the muscles of the arm and shoulderregion while mostly avoiding strain on the spinal cord. At the sametime, in addition to the dynamic loading of the upper limbs, a strongisometric tensioning of the back musculature can also be demonstrated.Consequently, the back musculature can be exercised on the familiarstepboards while largely sparing the lumbar and thoracic spinal column.

Weight-guiding tension devices are known and are used for all types ofstrength training. However, a disadvantage with the state of the art isthat the stepboard-like reclining and sitting device and theweight-guiding tension device are each known only as individual devices.But in medical training therapy it is often necessary to combine theactions and benefits of different training devices for optimaltreatment. According to the state of the art, this is only possible byplacing the training devices next to each other. Because of theirweight, especially that of the weight-guiding tension device, thisinvolves a large expenditure of time and effort.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the invention is to provide a training device, especiallyone for strengthening the back musculature, which has the most compactpossible structure and can be operated without additional expenditure ofeffort.

The features of the main claim serve to accomplish this purpose.

Advantageous embodiments are described in the subsidiary claims.

The training device according to the invention, thanks to thecombination of a reclining and sitting device and a pulling device toform a unified device, ensures that continual transporting of thereclining and sitting device up to the pulling device and back need notbe done. Advantageously, the reclining and sitting device and thepulling device are arranged in a support frame, so that the trainingdevice has a compact structure on the whole.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the reclining andsitting device is angled at the end away from the pulling device and itsheight can be adjusted. This ensures that the reclining and sittingdevice can be adapted in optimal manner to the body structure of theparticular user.

In another advantageous embodiment, first diverting rollers are arrangedin guided and adjustable manner on the support frame of the inventedtraining device, underneath the reclining and sitting device. Thisensures a variable guidance of a tension cable in the diverting rollers,so that the most diverse tensile stresses can be adjusted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the invented training device shall beexplained more closely hereafter by means of the enclosed drawings, asan example.

These show:

FIG. 1: a schematic, partially cut perspective view of the inventedtraining device and

FIGS. 2-4: a schematic representation of the possible applications ofthe invented training device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A training device shown in FIG. 1 in a schematic perspective view,especially one for strengthening the back muscles 10, comprises areclining and sitting device 12 and a pulling device 14, the recliningand sitting device 12 and the pulling device 14 being arranged in asupport frame 16. The reclining and sitting device 12 is fashioned likea stepboard, being angled at the end 18 away from the pulling device 14and adjustable in height. The reclining and supporting device 12 isfirmly joined to the support frame 16 by means of prop connections 40.The support frame 16 has several diverting rollers 20, 24, 26, 28 toguide a tension cable 30. At one end of the tension cable 30 is secureda weight holder 32, the opposite end of the tension cable 30 isfashioned as hand loops 34. The weight holder 32 serves to hold weights36, having one or more openings, which serve to guide the weights onguide rods 38.

The first diverting rollers 20 are arranged adjustably on the supportframe 16 underneath the reclining and sitting device and are guided bymeans of a carriage 22 on the support frame 16. The carriage 22 can beimmobilized.

FIGS. 2-4 show schematically the various possible applications of theinvented training device 10. FIG. 2 shows a guiding of the tension cable30 across the diverting rollers 28, 26 and 24, having no need for thediverting roller 20. By guiding the tension cable 30 through only threediverting rollers 24, 26, 28, the tensile loading from the weights 36 isincreased. FIGS. 3 and 4 show, on the contrary, a guiding of the tensioncable 30 across four diverting rollers 20, 24, 26, 28. It will berecognized that different stress patterns are created by the possibilityof shifting the roller 20 by means of the carriage 22 on the supportframe 16. This ensures that the invented training device 10 can be usedfor various exercise alternatives, which can be adapted to differentexertion requirements.

I claim:
 1. A training device for use by a trainee, comprising:a) aberth (12), having three segments essentially forming a step, namely, afirst one to hold the upper body, at a head end of the berth, a secondone to hold the upper legs of a foot end of the berth, and a third oneto hold the lower legs, b) a weight-guiding pulling device (14) having afirst and a second tension cable (30), c) the berth (12) and the pullingdevice (14) being combined in a common support frame (16) to form aunified device, d) the distance between the first and the third segmentsof the step being adapted for adjustment to the particular size of atrainee's body, e) two first diverting rollers (20), to guide the firstand the second tension cables (30), respectively, the first divertingrollers being arranged horizontally adjustably underneath the berth (12)on the support frame (16) so that a trainee lying with his stomach onthe berth (12) with his knees bent and his arms hanging down can grasp afree end of a tension cable in each hand and perform various pullingexercise alternatives according to the horizontal position of the firstdiverting rollers (20), and f) two second diverting rollers (24), toguide the first and second tension cables (30), respectively, the seconddiverting rollers being arranged at the head end of the berthapproximately level with the first diverting rollers to guide the cableto the first diverting rollers, the cable being removable from the firstdiverting rollers whereby the cable may be alternatively pulled from thesecond diverting rollers.
 2. A training device according to claim 1wherein the berth (12) is adjustable in height at an end (18) away fromthe pulling device (14).
 3. A training device according to claim 1further comprising two, third, and fourth diverting rollers (26, 28) forguiding the first and second tension cables (30), said first and secondtension cables having at one end a weight holder (32), and at the freeend a hand loop (34).
 4. A training device according to claim 1 whereinthe first diverting rollers (20) are each adjustably guided by means ofa carriage (22) to a plurality of positions on the support frame (16),the carriage being adapted to be locked in position.